How Virgin America Soars with Proactive Communication

I’m an advocate of Virgin America airlines for a number of reasons ranging from their new airplanes, the in-flight entertainment and WIFI, the food & bevies and of course, the on-time arrivals and departures. So, I was really impressed today when I got the email below to let me know they were making some changes.

And here’s why:

First, they used an attention-getting, “cheeky” subject line to stand out in my crowded inbox.

We’re Shaping Up Our Back End: Find out more about our new reservations system.

This got my attention enough to open the message and read more.

Next, they used a clean and simple design for their message. This message doesn’t need distracting images and sizzle. What it needs is simple and concise messaging that clearly communicates what is changing and addresses their customers’ concerns. They score an A from me on all fronts. They start off with a short paragraph explaining the change and then address What to Expect broken down in easy to scan bullet points. They get extra credit for thanking me for my understanding and showing that they have thought about their customers and the impact this will have on them. And they get double extra bonus points for using social media as another channel to support their customers during this change.

Way to go Virgin America! How can you use this as inspiration for communicating your next big change to your customers?